The City Has Fallen: An Umayyad Timeline

[Merovingian]

From “Amir al-Mu‘minin: History of the Caliphs” by Suleiman al-Dimashqi

The fall of Constantinople was met by great celebration within the Dar al-Islam[1] and with great mourning within the lands of Christendom. The city, built by the Christian Emperor Constantine for whom it was named, had been the beating heart of the Christian world up until that point. The city was renamed Madinat ar-Rum[2] and incorporated into the Umayyad Caliphate. The Muslims’ first attempt at taking Constantinople had been foiled by the Romans’ use of Greek fire[3]. However, in what was believed by Muslims for centuries to be a miracle from God, a during the course of the First Siege, an Arab soldier discovered the secret of the creation of Greek fire, and the Umayyads were able to replicate it during the Second Siege[4].

In the aftermath of the Fall of Constantinople, the Umayyads now had a gateway into Europe. Before the siege and subsequent fall of the Eastern Roman Empire to the Caliphate, Europe had been ruled by many Christian and pagan tribes, mostly of Germanic and Slavic origin. After Constantinople fell, the Umayyads would continue their expansion into much of Southern Europe, turning the Mediterranean into a firmly Umayyad lake.




[1]Literally “House/Abode of Islam”, refers to countries where Islam is the religion of the people and/or government

[2]Arabic for “City of the Romans”

[3]An incendiary weapon used by the Byzantines. Exactly how it worked was a closely guarded secret of the Eastern Roman state, and is now forgotten to history. ITTL, the Umayyads discover how to create and use Greek fire.

[4]The POD

 

[akramos2012]

Good start, I can't wait to see more

 

[Merovingian]

From “Amir al-Mu’minin: History of the Caliphs” by Suleiman al-Dimashqi

Following Constantinople to the Caliphate, the Umayyads began their expansion further into Europe. The Caliphs set their eyes next on the Italian peninsula. With their use of Greek fire, the Umayyads were easily able to subdue much of Italy, which they named Al-Lunjibardiyyah[1], after a local Germanic tribe. The fall of Al-Lunjibardiyyah was just as devastating for the Christians as was the fall of Ar-Rum, for in the city of Rome(not to be confused with “Rum”) lived the Bishop of Rome, who was among the most influential of Christian clerical leaders in Europe[2]. The Kingdom of the Franks reacted to the fall of Italy by sending an army to retake the peninsula, meeting the Umayyads at . However, the Umayyads’ use of Greek fire was able to hold off the Frankish army. The King of the Franks is recorded to have died, and the Frankish realm was divided between numerous claimants to the throne, whose descendants would in time form their own kingdoms.

The Umayyads would incorporate Al-Lunjinardiyyah into the Caliphate. Marsaliyyah would serve as a key port city for the Umayyads, functioning as a center of trade between the Caliphate and Europe. With the fall of Ar-Rum, Al-Andalus, and Al-Lunjibardiyyah, and the collapse of the Frankish realm, many Christians would take refuge in Al-Habasha[4], which would become the new center of Christendom. Just as Islam spread in Europe, so would Christianity spread in Africa. Al-Habasha would become the center of a Christian Golden Age, and for much of the Middle Ages, Christian Africans would be as advanced if not more so than Muslim Europeans. It was not till many years after the Islamization of Southern Europe that Al-Habasha would begin to decline.



[1]Arabized form of “Langobardi”, the Latin name for the Lombards

[2]The Pope wasn’t nearly as powerful or influential as he would become later into the Middle Ages, but an Islamic conquest of Rome would leave European Christianity a lot more decentralized

[4]Arabic name for Ethiopia

 

[Johnharry]

i think much like the Umayyeds in Iran certain local nobility in Europe will accept Ummayed control.

for example in OTL the seven parthian clans making peace with the umayyeds(submission.)

within time, like OTL, some will revolt (revolts seeking to end muslim rule will likely fail) while others will islamize. for example OTL Samanids were descendents of Bahram.

much like Iran in OTL, Europes geography is rife for anti ummayed islamic currents to instigate in.

@John7755 يوحنا

you might have some good input

 

[souvikkundu25140017]

Will china and india become a contender?

 

[Merovingian]

i think much like the Umayyeds in Iran certain local nobility in Europe will accept Ummayed control.

for example in OTL the seven parthian clans making peace with the umayyeds(submission.)

within time, like OTL, some will revolt (revolts seeking to end muslim rule will likely fail) while others will islamize. for example OTL Samanids were descendents of Bahram.

much like Iran in OTL, Europes geography is rife for anti ummayed islamic currents to instigate in.

@John7755 يوحنا

you might have some good input

This is exactly my idea. The parts of Europe that the Umayyads control(which is really just the Mediterranean, anything north of that would be too overstretched) will likely split off into separate Caliphates similar to the Abbasids IOTL.

Will china and india become a contender?

China and India will most certainly be involved in the timeline, but as of right now they’re mostly the same as OTL.

 

[souvikkundu25140017]

I do not think Christianity can be become a contender for islam. Will buddhism get a Resurgence in india and indo China?

 

[Merovingian]

I do not think Christianity can be become a contender for islam. Will buddhism get a Resurgence in india and indo China?

Islam is definitely going to replace Christianity in parts of Europe, but it will thrive elsewhere. I hadn’t originally thought of a Buddhist resurgence in India and Indochina, but I might include it.

 

[Nassirisimo]

This is a fascinating concept, I look forward to seeing where you will take this. I do wonder if at least the Mediterranean world being under the control of Islam will encourage it to become a highway of commerce as it was in Roman times. If so, it could have some huge ramifications going forward in the future.

Great work so far, looking forward to seeing more!

 

[Tabs]

Watched, this is very good so far.

 

[holycookie]

with Islam so expansive it will have some very heretical aspects. A wider adoption of the Mutazilates creating a similar struggle between Protestants and Catholics would be interesting. Not only that but there are other things like the problems that possible countries may have like the one found in Andalus (ethnic, religious and cultural division). It would be interesting if due to this large size instead of sunni and shia there are other strands.

 

[holycookie]

With Arabization, places with similar histories will come together and fight against others. The Mongoian/Turkish invasions for example that shaped the worldview of these countries will not interfere in Spain and Italy. We also have the chance that these places will not remain Islamic. Problems like heritability, civil wars, rationalists vs traditionalists, etc.
this can also lead to colonization, with for example spain and italy being expelled from the islamic world and with that having to find other ways for the spices.
The Shia of today have, for example, a great mutazilate influence (or at least rationalists). One thing I see in this kind of story is that Islam kind of stays the same which is not true. Maybe Hellenic Islam vs Arab Islam in the future? With constantinople, italy and spain vs egypt, syria and arabia.
The ulama for example forced a ban on printing press. If some adopt this and other things , they should climb in power better than Islamic countries that don't.

it can happen that we have several caliphates, not 1 or 2 but 4 or 5+. Something like 1 in Spain, 1 in Italy, 1 in Constantinople (they renamed Constantinople for some reason, something the Turks didn't do), 1 in Maghreb region, 1 in Egypt/Arabia , 1 in Iran and maybe 1 in India. that's not counting 1 or more in the future of the new world

 

[Merovingian]

With Arabization, places with similar histories will come together and fight against others. The Mongoian/Turkish invasions for example that shaped the worldview of these countries will not interfere in Spain and Italy. We also have the chance that these places will not remain Islamic. Problems like heritability, civil wars, rationalists vs traditionalists, etc.
this can also lead to colonization, with for example spain and italy being expelled from the islamic world and with that having to find other ways for the spices.

Spain and Italy will indeed develop a different culture then that of Arabia or Persia, and will drift further away from OTL’s Islamic world with the distance of time. While you are right that the Turkish and Mongolian invasions wouldn’t affect Italy or Spain, they’re likely butterflied or at least substantially different from OTL.

The Shia of today have, for example, a great mutazilate influence (or at least rationalists). One thing I see in this kind of story is that Islam kind of stays the same which is not true. Maybe Hellenic Islam vs Arab Islam in the future? With constantinople, italy and spain vs egypt, syria and arabia.
The ulama for example forced a ban on printing press. If some adopt this and other things , they should climb in power better than Islamic countries that don't.

The Mu’tazila will likely be more influential ITTL. I’m tentatively having the Mu’tazila become the dominant Islamic sect in Europe while the Sunni and Shi’a are still predominant in the Middle East, with the Maghreb being either Mu’tazilite, Sunni, or maybe even Kharijite.

it can happen that we have several caliphates, not 1 or 2 but 4 or 5+. Something like 1 in Spain, 1 in Italy, 1 in Constantinople (they renamed Constantinople for some reason, something the Turks didn't do), 1 in Maghreb region, 1 in Egypt/Arabia , 1 in Iran and maybe 1 in India. that's not counting 1 or more in the future of the new world

This is pretty much what I had in mind for after the Umayyads. As for the renaming Constantinople thing, the new name is just what the Arabs call it, it’s still “Constantinople” to the locals.

 

[traveller76]

I would like to see how far Ethiopian based missionaries spread in Africa?

 

[Merovingian]

I would like to see how far Ethiopian based missionaries spread in Africa?

Let’s just say that I have plans for Ethiopia... Africa is now the new center of Christianity, but exactly what happens is yet to be revealed.

 

[holycookie]

Spain and Italy will indeed develop a different culture then that of Arabia or Persia, and will drift further away from OTL’s Islamic world with the distance of time. While you are right that the Turkish and Mongolian invasions wouldn’t affect Italy or Spain, they’re likely butterflied or at least substantially different from OTL.

I don't see how the conquest of Constantinople prevents Genghis Khan, but even if he doesn't, migrations of that level will occur. Perhaps with an individual more brutal than Genghis.

The Mu’tazila will likely be more influential ITTL. I’m tentatively having the Mu’tazila become the dominant Islamic sect in Europe while the Sunni and Shi’a are still predominant in the Middle East, with the Maghreb being either Mu’tazilite, Sunni, or maybe even Kharijite.

you could have mutazilate spain which came from the sunni with the maghreb being the battle compound between the orthodox sunni and the mutazilites. The italy be shia, which is not entirely mutazilites.
A Kharijite Maghreb would be interesting.

This can recreate the Portuguese and Spanish feeling only 2 or 3 times more. Christian to the north, Kharijite to the south. This would create the hyperaggressiveness that Iberia had, together with a greater chance of trying new things, the Arabs would be forced to make big compromises, probably preventing the fight between Arabs, Iberians and Berbs.
A great martial tradition tends to preclude the use of mercenaries on a large scale. This would prevent the excessive use of mercenaries which was a serious problem in Andalus. The other problem is the one of succession that destroys Andalus and if not solved it will destroy the other kingdoms.

Perhaps of the Latins Spain has the strangest Islam, with Italy being a middle ground of Islamic religions and the center of mediterranean trade.
The Maghreb is Kharijite
Constantinople has hyper Hellenic islam, with egypt, syria, arabia and iran having the "normal" aspects. With iran, perhaps becoming shia.

the world

I don't see possible future advances without it being silly.
With Ethiopia being a center of Christianity, it is likely what the divide is European Christianity vs Ethiopian Christianity

This is pretty much what I had in mind for after the Umayyads. As for the renaming Constantinople thing, the new name is just what the Arabs call it, it’s still “Constantinople” to the locals.

ok

 

[holycookie]

Let’s just say that I have plans for Ethiopia... Africa is now the new center of Christianity, but exactly what happens is yet to be revealed.

something like ethiopia being THE center of christianity is absurd, they don't have the strength that france or germanic peoples have. Not to mention they are separate from the rest of Christianity. There are reasons why Christians were never able to reconquer Egypt, or why Muslims were never able to conquer France and "Germany".
Being one of the centers is interesting, being the center is something else. the map that I showed will be the maximum of islam in europe without it becoming something like religion X is invincible.

 

[holycookie]

with the bulgarians and hungarians becoming islamic the map will probably be like that, with maybe an islamic kingdom conquering the rest of iberia
Christianity will be much more Germanic and less Roman. with Muslims closer to Roman centers having Roman influence instead of christians

 

[Merovingian]

I don't see possible future advances without it being silly.
With Ethiopia being a center of Christianity, it is likely what the divide is European Christianity vs Ethiopian Christianity

something like ethiopia being THE center of christianity is absurd, they don't have the strength that france or germanic peoples have. Not to mention they are separate from the rest of Christianity. There are reasons why Christians were never able to reconquer Egypt, or why Muslims were never able to conquer France and "Germany".
Being one of the centers is interesting, being the center is something else. the map that I showed will be the maximum of islam in europe without it becoming something like religion X is invincible.

Perhaps I should have phrased it better. Ethiopia is currently the center of Christianity, but not the only place where it is practiced. Europe will become more important later on. At least as of now, the Muslims aren’t expanding any further, that would simply be too overstretched. Most of Europe north of the Alps will likely remain Christian.

with the bulgarians and hungarians becoming islamic the map will probably be like that, with maybe an islamic kingdom conquering the rest of iberia
Christianity will be much more Germanic and less Roman. with Muslims closer to Roman centers having Roman influence instead of christians
View attachment 755603

These are roughly the religious borders that Europe will likely have ITTL.

 

[holycookie]

Perhaps I should have phrased it better. Ethiopia is currently the center of Christianity, but not the only place where it is practiced. Europe will become more important later on.

makes more sense

At least as of now, the Muslims aren’t expanding any further, that would simply be too overstretched. Most of Europe north of the Alps will likely remain Christian.
These are roughly the religious borders that Europe will likely have ITTL.

the borders make sense with the Alps and Pyrenees being good dividing between the two religions.the phrase " europe ends at the pyrenees" will make sense ITTL
The eastern European steppe tribes will have to deal with Russians who will likely be Catholic rather than Orthodox
wars between andalus and ethiopia empire similar to portuguese vs ottoman wars is very likely